Reports Leo Odera Omolo

THE NRM-leaning independent candidates have been given two weeks to negotiate with the party and stand down for the official flag-bearers,the government owned NEWVISION reported today

“For the next two weeks, we are going to engage in intense dialogue to resolve the independents problem…. the point is that we are dividing the vote and giving opportunity to the minority to seize one or two elective offices,” the NRM secretary general, Amama Mbabazi, announced yesterday.

Mbabazi announces the deadline for independents. Right is former NRM electoral commission official Lydia Wanyoto

Mbabazi told journalists at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala that “In the unlikely event that we don’t resolve the issue, the NRM will have no choice but to go out to campaign for itself and those who are its flag bearers, he added.

Mbabazi, however, acknowledged that some of the independent candidates have genuine issues which they expressed by registering as independent candidates.

“Some had reason to be dissatisfied and they took the decision to be independent. This is an obvious issue that the NRM must address and we find solutions even if it wasn’t for elections. We will continue to find solutions for our in-house problems,” stated Mbabazi.

Though Mbabazi noted that individuals have a right to register and stand on their own merit, he cautioned that they must know that they are dividing the Party vote and giving opportunity to the minority to be voted for.

The debate of independent candidates has of recent dominated the Party meetings including the caucus.

The NRM scrapped the electoral colleges in selecting candidates to avoid the problem of members resorting to standing as independent candidates. But the problem still persisted.

Most independent candidates however insist that they still love the party and will support President Yoweri Museveni in the 2011 general elections.

Mbabazi on Tuesday held a meeting with NRM MPs where he reportedly tried to convince the independents to step down.

A source that attended the Tuesday meeting said Mbabazi expressed concern over the dangers independents are likely to pose to the Party during the 2011 general elections.

Independents reportedly rejected the proposal to step down, saying the party primary elections were marred by malpractice, and their petitions were never given due attention by the Party electoral commission.

“They refused even when the secretary general tried to convince them that they were dividing the party votes. They said the president had promised to meet them before nominations but the meeting did not take place,” the source told the Newvision.

Out of the 75 NRM MPs who lost in the primaries, 52 have been nominated as independents.

Kabarole Woman MP, Margaret Muhanga, who was nominated on an independent ticket reportedly, said independents do not hate the party. She said they registered as independents because their petitions were not properly handled and the elections were not free and fair.

Over 600 petitions were filed with the NRM Electoral Commission after the primaries. On November 18, fresh NRM Party primaries were held in the disputed areas and right flag bearers were announced.

However many of the petitioners felt their grievances were not “properly” handled by the commission and vowed to stand as independents.

During the nominations for the 2011 general elections, many NRM members who failed in the party primaries defied their party and sought nomination as independent parliamentary candidates.

Caucus treasurer, David Bahati, said that during the NRM caucus meeting, members discussed strategies for the coming campaigns and how to dialogue with independents.

Talking on phone from Kibuku, water state minister, Jennifer Namuyangu, vowed not to step down for her rival Saleh Kamba, saying ‘he is a self imposed flag bearer’.

“Step down for who? Let them (NRM) first show me the real flag bearer. I am the flag bearer of the people they deleted from the register,” Namuyangu said.

The caucus resolved that Mbabazi holds another meeting with the independents to iron out the matter.

Last week, Party spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said independents should return their party cards and hand over party offices. However, Ofwono also acknowledged that in some areas, the Party primaries were not fairly conducted.

In Kanungu district, Geoffrey Tumwebaze, the LC3 boss, returned his party card to NRM and stood as independent for the district LC5 chairmanship. This was after he was defeated by Josephine Kasya.

Yesterday Mbabazi denied knowledge of any coalition of the NRM leaning independent candidates countrywide to campaign for themselves.

He said that some of the independents may not be genuine. “A strong NRM supporter to divide the strength of their party? Would they be ready to take responsibility for that kind of outcome?” Mbabazi mused.

Mbabazi said that the NRM is the only party that has fielded candidates in all the constituencies and new candidates alone are 140. He said that the old candidates are 97. He said that of the NRM candidates running against the District woman MP, only 32 are incumbent and the 80 are new entrants. He boasted that in Kanungu alone, only the NRM had 59 candidates’ at all elective levels unopposed.

He admitted that there were shortcomings in conducting the NRM primaries, but attributed it to them being a new thing in the country.

“The NRM primaries were the first in the history of Uganda to be held on the basis of adult suffrage, and therefore it was a new experience to us,” Mbabazi said.

Ends